LEGISLATIVE REPORT April 18 , 2018

Thu, 04/19/2018 - 12:48pmadmin

by Rep. Lyle Rowland

Former State Representative Mary Lou Sallee passed away on April 6. She served the Missouri House from 1993-2000 and represented the counties of Douglas, Wright and eastern Ozark. Mary Lou dedicated her life to helping young people and serving her community.Last week we had students and teachers visiting from Taneyville, Kirbyville and Bakersfield. The Capitol has been filled with students on school field trips. We also had FFA students from Ava and Gainesville visiting the Capitol on Farm Bureau Youth Leadership Day. I was very happy to see them all.The Alzheimer’s Association in West Plains is sponsoring a “Community Conversation,” a town hall-style meeting, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 19, at the Community Foundaiton of the Ozarks, 1378 Bill Virdon Blvd. This meeting will be an opportunity to gather together to learn about Alzheimer’s disease, ask questions and participate in a discussion about the resources and needs of the community. Register by calling 800-272-3900 or visit the education page at alz.org/greatermissouri.On March 1, the Missouri House of Representatives gave overwhelming bipartisan support to a resolution that outlined the powers of a special investigative committee formed by the House Speaker to investigate the facts surrounding alleged misconduct by Gov. Eric Greitens.During the last several weeks, the committee conducted a fair, thorough and timely investigation of the facts. The committee’s membership included lawyers, retired law enforcement officers and other members with diverse professional backgrounds from different parts of the state. Their job was not to make their own conclusions but to hear testimony and make a judgment about the credibility of that testimony. After weeks of hearings and testimony, the committee finally released its findings on Wednesday, April 11.Those findings are now available online on the Missouri House of Representatives website, at house.mo.gov. The link to the committee’s findings is on the front page of the website under “Special Investigative Committee on Oversight.” The link leads to a page where the committee’s report, transcripts and exhibits are available in PDF format.Before reading any of the provided material, please be aware the report contains content of a sensitive and sexual nature. The House Special Investigative Committee on Oversight has kept descriptions of an adult nature and coarse language in order to provide an unfiltered record of witness testimony. In some cases, the identities of witnesses and sensitive information have been redacted from the record to protect privacy.Following the release of the report, House Speaker Todd Richardson and members of House leadership met with the media to provide reactions to the report’s content. The Speaker said, “The testimony outlined in the report is beyond disturbing.” The Speaker then noted that the Special Investigative Committee on Oversight will continue its work to gather additional information that comes to light. The committee will also expand its mission to provide members a recommendation of any and all appropriate discipline of the governor.As the Speaker told the press, “The power given to the Missouri General Assembly to take disciplinary action or remove elected officials from office is one of the most serious and consequential powers the Constitution grants the legislature. We will not take that responsibility lightly, nor will we act rashly. However, we will not shrink from it.”As the Speaker concluded his comments, he said his goal is for the General Assembly to remain focused on the tasks that Missourians sent legislators to Jefferson City to complete. To that end, he said he and members of House and Senate leadership have begun the process of calling a special session for full consideration of any recommendations by the committee.Last week the House passed to the Senate the following bills:HB 1252 changes the law regarding low-dose mammography screening.HB 1275 establishes a work-study program within the Department of Higher Education.HB 1296 establishes “Toby’s Law,” which requires any person who has pled guilty to or been found guilty of driving while intoxicated to complete a victim-impact program approved by the court.HB 1419 requires certain health care professionals to complete two hours of suicide-prevention training as a condition of licensure.HB 1499 allows a health care provider to transfer a long-acting reversible contraceptive to a patient other than the patient to whom it was initially prescribed in certain circumstances.HB 1629 provides that a doctoral degree from programs accredited or provisionally accredited by the Psychological Clinical Science Accreditation System are acceptable for licensure as a psychologist if the program meets certain requirements.HB 2105 establishes the Opioid Addiction Prevention and Treatment Act of 2018.HB 2231 removes the requirement that land surveyors submit letters of reference in order to be licensed.HB 2255 modifies provisions relating to the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Initiative.HBs 2337 & 2272 modify fee requirements for insurance companies.HB 2562 establishes treatment courts.Complete bill information can be found on the House website at house.mo.gov.

Recent Posts

Mike and Gretchen Hatcher moved into their home at Briar Creek Retreat west of Theodosia three weeks ago. Mike says the idea for the retreat for pastors and missionaries and their families came to him as a vision from God in 2005 while he was serving with the Navy in Guam. Eventually the retreat will include seven cabins named for the gifts of the Spirit: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness and Gentleness.

Ida Mae Huse, center, long-time Ozark County teacher and former Gainesville Elementary School principal, was presented with a 50-year membership pin Feb. 13 by Delta Kappa Gamma members Alice Neal of Eminence, left, and Caryl Feiler of Lakeview, Arkansas, who taught kindergarten in Gainesville while Ida Mae was principal. Delta Kappa Gamma is an international professional women educators society; the local Xi Chapter, which Ida Mae served as treasurer for many years, draws from a five-county area, including Ozark County. photo courtesy Alice Neal